Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-20
KILLED BY LlBERTY'S TORCH.u
What is Done With the Hundreds of
Birds Found by the Big Statue.

New York Sun: The Department of
Agriculture makes it obligatory upon
Lighthouse keepers to render periodical
reports, upon blanks prepared for the
purpose, of all members of the feathered
tribe who meet their death by flying
against the lights.
About a month ago, one stormy night,
nearly 400 birds of various species
were picked up on the balcony of the
Statue of Liberty torch and near the
pedestal. Before this no particular ac-
count had been taken of these victims
to curiosity, the officials of the Island
disposing of them any way they saw fit,
many, it is said, being sold to milliners
and fancy stores in the city. But upon
this occasion Colonel Tassin who is in
military command of the island, having
made iuquiry about the birds, and being
unable to find any trace of them, deter
mined to apply to the authorities in
Washington with the view of having
the lighthouse regulations on the head
applied to the Liberty light. He was
matter has been very carefully looked
after. To Sun reporter yesterday Col
onel Tassin said:
81 had heretofore received many let
ters from all sorts of people offering to
buy the birds which were killed in this
way. But / believed they were public
property, and that had no right to dis
pose of them. I thereupon instituted
the governments system of records,
which are now followed with military
regularly. Every morning go up to
the guard house and overlook the birds
collected by the men. | classify them
as we'll as l can, and gather all the
| information called for by the monthly
| report. This includes the name of the
bird, the hour of striking, number
striking, number killed, direction and
! force of wind, character OF weather, and
general remarks. When I have col
| lected about 200 specimens send them
| to the Washington National museum, the
| Smithsonian institute and other scien-
| tific institutions, whore l know they are
| wanted. l have received several letters
from the Washington authorities and
| others warmly thanking me for my ac-
| tion in the matter. The information
has proved of much value, they tell me,
| in many instance, and it is only to be
regretted that lighthouse keepers gem
orally do not carry out with more care
the provisions OF this governmental
regulation.
| "As to the number and species of
birds which are killed by the statue my
October record shows very large total;
| larger, dOuDtlcSS, lhan any Othcr lSnt
in America. The commenest bird
killed is species of wren of which L
don't know the name, but which closely
resembles the Baltimore oriole. There
are few large or very rare birds, and
the English sparrow, so common in our
cities, is altogether too sharp to be
caught in this way. He is too well ac-
customed to the electric glare of city
life. On October l the record shows
there were fifty rails, eleven wrens,
two cat birds and one whippoorwill; on
the I'd, two wrens; the Sd. eight wrens,
and so on, the average being about
twenty birds per night, although the
character of the weather, the direction
of the wind, ETC., has great deal to do
with the matter. On clear nights
there are none or very few, but on dark
nights the harvest is very large. On
the 18th instant 175 wrens were
gathered in, although it was not par
ticularly dark or windy night. / have
sent to Washington for the correct
name of this bird and expect an answer
in few days. The birds / sent to
Washington are prepared for shipment
by Mr.. William Deutcher in New
| York;